The European Space Agency (ESA) has just been granted financing to study the development of a Hydrogen fueled hypersonic aircraft capable of travelling at Mach 5.5.The first phase of this Long-term Advanced Propulsion Concepts And Technologies (LAPCAT) scheme winds up early next year and is being run by the ESA.
The $14.5 million funding will go towards studying how to bring this supersonic aircraft to life so that one day it will travel from Brussels, Belgium to Sydney, Australia in just 4.6 hours (covering 10,407 miles).
For now, researchers are trying to figure out how to develop an engine that will be capable of thrusting the airplane to Mach 5.5 speed. The engine will most likely consist of a rocket engine with a turbo compressor that will be also be able to fly at subsonic speeds while travelling over land where sonic boom is not permitted. This amazing technology is definitely something we can expect to see in the Hydrogen Future.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/fast-plane/mach-8-hydrogen-hypersonic-airliner-on-the-drawing-board-314957.php
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